Data revenues from mobile phones will constitute 22 percent of African telecom revenues by 2016, according to a recent research.
According to Informa Telecoms and Media, the revenues in Africa for mobile data will peak at US$18.5 billion by the year 2016, which will reflect 22 percent revenue in contrast to the 12 percent that the mobile data market donated in 2011.
This means that usage of mobile phone to access the Internet will be a great tool in the future and more content providers need to structure their offerings to fit the mobile Web.
“There is more depth to a mobile operator’s customer base in Africa than two or three years ago and, for this reason, MNOs need to gain a greater insight into their customers’ behavior and offer them services that match their individual needs and preferences,” Nick Jotischky, principal analyst for emerging market analysis at Informa Telecoms and Media said.
The business case for 4G technology will emerge, according to 70 percent of the survey’s respondents, as the growth of mobile data services continues to accelerate, the report stated, adding that giving mobility to broadband services will empower enterprises and especially SMEs to benefit from more mobile working thereby generating greater business agility.
Last week, Kenya’s leading integrated telecommunications company Safaricom released its half year results that pointed to this trend. The company registered 30 percent growth in mobile and fixed data revenues compared to the same period last year.
“Using this insight to design new business models that combine an MNO’s traditional capabilities (mobility, location) with Internet-style services (search, mapping) will enable a more compelling and personalized set of services to a wider variety of customer segments,” Jotischky said.
